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ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif after appearing in an accountability court for the three references filed against him on a Supreme Court directive termed his party’s victory in the Lodhran by-election ‘a public reaction’ against his ‘political victimisation’ and ‘fabricated’ references.

“It is the people of Pakistan who are fighting my case,” claimed Mr Sharif while talking to the media on Tuesday after appearing in the court for the references filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau on the SC directive.

“Those who had prepared the references and handed these over to NAB desired my conviction,” he said, adding that “in case I am not convicted all their efforts would end in futility”.

“I salute the people as they are responding to the allegations levelled against me and fighting for the sanctity of their own vote irrespective of whether they are living in rural or urban areas,” said Mr Sharif.

The ex-premier said Lodhran’s by-election was the practical demonstration of public reaction. He said the references filed against him as well as against his children were fabricated and lacked evidence. “This is the reason that NAB is filing supplementary references,” he added.

He termed it “victimisation in the name of accountability”.

However, Mr Sharif skipped a question regarding Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s recent announcement that he would not continue his decades-long association with the PML-N if the party’s command was given to his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, or some junior politician.

Earlier on Tuesday, the counsel for the Sharif family moved three applications seeking exemption from personal attendance of Mr Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, and son-in-law retired Captain Mohammad Safdar till March 3.

The counsel, Amjad Pervez, argued that Kalsoom Nawaz, the ailing spouse of Mr Sharif, was in a critical condition and a final decision about her treatment would be taken within the next few days. At this critical stage, he said, the presence of Mr Sharif as well as other family members with Ms Kalsoom was necessary. He explained that Mr Sharif had earlier visited the UK to inquire after the health of his ailing spouse and returned to face the trial that never suffered any delay in his absence.

The court also fixed Feb 22 for recording the testimony of two UK-based prosecution witnesses, Akhtar Raja and Robert M. Radley, via a video link. Arrangements for the recording the testimony would be made at Pakistani High Commission in the UK.

Mr Raja is the owner of Quist Solicitor and nephew of Wajid Zia, the head of the Joint Investigation Team that probed the money-laundering allegations against the Sharif family. Mr Radley is the principal of his own forensic laboratory and he disclosed use of Calibri font in the documents signed by Maryam Nawaz and retired Capitan Safdar related to Avenfield Apartments at a time when the font was not commercially available in the market.

The defence counsel told the court that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had allowed the lawyers of Mr Sharif to be present at the High Commission during the recording of the testimony.

Lodhran poll results indicates that our people need more education. They need to learn who is truly working in their interests; and who is playing with their sentiments

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Dilawar

Feb 14, 2018 08:11am

NS is a fake leader! Fake win by fake money!

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Whitefish

Feb 14, 2018 08:13am

It will take sometime for the people to start making mature decisions based on merit, not on the basis of emotions. We are not there yet.

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qaiser ahmed

Feb 14, 2018 08:16am

To beat PTI on its home ground. EPIC.

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Jay

Feb 14, 2018 08:17am

Shameless NS. does not understand that disqualification decision is against him (in person) not against PML-N.

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Saad Khan

Feb 14, 2018 08:23am

Mian sahib, no one knows you in Lodheran, that candidate was very influential after Mr Tareen, that's the only winning reason. People in whole Pakistan hate you because of your corruption and lootmar.

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R.Azhar

Feb 14, 2018 08:38am

Unfortunately the Nation is still sleeping.

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Naeem Qureshi

Feb 14, 2018 08:41am

It seems that the public does not care about massive corruption of NS family. We deserve the leaders we elect

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Alba

Feb 14, 2018 08:56am

There is nothing fake about tax evasion charges against Nawaz and his family.

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Bloo

Feb 14, 2018 09:09am

People dont vote on merit. They vote for personalities which is ruining the country's politics. More education to get rid of the corrupt

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Hyder

Feb 14, 2018 09:21am

Sir

Panama leaks are not fake, flats purchased by Nawaz Sharif in London Marble Arch is not fake and he is disqualified for failing to produce evidence that the means of buying those flats were not money laundering.

Nawaz Sharif cannot fool the educated people anymore!!!

Thanks

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Rahshid KHAN

Feb 14, 2018 09:33am

No sir, Lodhran elections show PTI failures. They failed to remind people that how their hard-earn money ends up in foreign bank accounts. They failed to remind people that how you, your family, and party told lie after lie to the nation, including your daughter writing fake letters to the supreme court. They failed to counter your campaign for distorting the truth and making the judiciary so controversial that people couldn't separate the truth from the nonstop lies anymore.

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Mehboob Ali Lalani

Feb 14, 2018 09:42am

It is better for him and the nation that he proves his innocence in court of law. He just submit money trail and get out of mess. Mere claiming fake cases is not enough. People may be misled. The court will not buy his political arguments.

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Suleman

Feb 14, 2018 10:00am

It does not answer the fundamental question, where did Nawaz get the money for the Avenfield property and how was the money sent to UK.

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Akhtar

Feb 14, 2018 10:05am

@Saad Khan
People hate NS in Lahor, where his wife won. People in Chakwal hate him where PTI was defested. Now people Lodhran hated NS where his candidate wim withlandslide. Probably, NS loves that hate who help his party won all the by-poll election after July, 28 , 2017 , his disqualification. People can continue hate him as long they vote for his candidates in 2018 election.

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Akhtar

Feb 14, 2018 10:07am

@R.Azhar
Nation is awake and had seen the real face of this crook Imran Khan.

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Abdulrashid

Feb 14, 2018 10:07am

Wait for court judgements. People r not fool, u r a mafia & can manage everything.

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Sonia

Feb 14, 2018 10:08am

If you hold an election today : PML-N is going to win, Imran is going to come 2nd and PPP a distant third. The right wingers are going to steal more votes from PTI than PML-N and /PPP.

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iffi

Feb 14, 2018 10:15am

Mr. NS if someone takes all 200 million votes ... it still doesn't give a person to loot & plunder inn a civilized country ....

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iffi

Feb 14, 2018 10:19am

Mian sb .... no one knows you in Lodhran it was a contest between Tareen Group vs Pir Iqbal shah, Siddiq Blouch, Qanjoo etc groups .... all these groups united to beat Tareen group ...

Even if you won on your own, that doesn't give you a license for corruption unlawful activities ...

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Tariq

Feb 14, 2018 10:21am

First of all this election don't have any relevance at all and that is why make any argument is misleading and propaganda. Secondly Sharif Camp is in deep trouble and they are trying every bit to negative that impression by taking advantage of such irrelevant things like lodhran by-election.

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Pakistani

Feb 14, 2018 10:28am

People like NS only understand one language and until then we will keep on hearing his fake rants!

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Dr Rashid Ansari

Feb 14, 2018 10:37am

Nawaz Sharif should be punished. I have not seen a person in my life worst than him. He is dishonest, selfish and with no dignity.

Now every criminal will address the crowd and start abusing the SC judges suggesting make Pakistan rule of jungle.

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WM

Feb 14, 2018 10:41am

We want to see Maryam Nawaz the next prime minister of pakistan, PTI be prepare for unexpected in KPK in 2018. I wish PMLN should white wash election 2018 in all provinces of Pakistan. PTI is not mature yet and need 100 more years to reach to the level of PMLN.

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Mirza

Feb 14, 2018 10:48am

@Ali Agreed 100% that you are correctly caught and we know how votes are obtained in Pakistani politics.

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Moses

Feb 14, 2018 11:09am

@Rahshid KHAN Actually Lodhran was a PTI constituency headed by Jhanghir Thareen and if he had actually done his job there and improved people’s lives nobody would have voted for PMLN. PTI spend so much time protesting they don’t actually govern hence create a vacuum! How much did JT attend Parliament? How many roads, power plants and infrastructure projects did he complete? You don’t need an inquiry into Lodhran I think perhaps people are sick of agitation & abusive politics 24-7! PTI rejected!!

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Moses

Feb 14, 2018 11:14am

@Akhtar Until PTI can remove the big businessmen and Vaderaz from the party they will remain in the same situation! They have lost their way completely and just look to destabilise the country, democracy and to what end? Does IK and PTI have a plan if they were to come to power? Pakistan doesn’t need more of the same they need a true manifesto for change which I have never heard from any PTI person! If they had one KPK would be a model province in 5 years!

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F Khan

Feb 14, 2018 11:21am

Very well said by NS.2018 elections will prove his point.

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Dr Khan

Feb 14, 2018 11:43am

Mr Nawaz Shareef If elections are going to decide if the person is corrupt or not than lets abolish all courts.

Talk some sense Mr Shareef

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Creative Genious

Feb 14, 2018 12:20pm

He is clearly living in fool's paradise. Please save the nation from this corrupt man.

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Roshan Ali

Feb 14, 2018 12:51pm

Lodhran result indicates that the people of Pakistan are deprived from their basic right which is education :(

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Hyder

Feb 14, 2018 01:15pm

@WM keep on voting for the corrupt lot and keep on getting robbed by these corrupt lot through sasta tandoor, yellow cab, karz utaro mulk sawaro and so on

Thanks

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Sid

Feb 14, 2018 01:28pm

This should be a massive wake up call for PTI - if they think they are going to win the elections then they are bigger fools then PMLN...

They need to sit down and audit what went wrong in this campaign for them and make sure it doesn’t happen again if they want a chance...

No doubt PLMN bought votes but that’s become a norm in Pakistani politics... PTI will have to come up with a way to counter this even if it means paying a higher pRice for the vote..

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Dr. Nabil

Feb 14, 2018 01:43pm

@Roshan Ali Rural areas are still controlled by feudals!

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ohtheirony

Feb 14, 2018 05:00pm

@Jay i thought they were the same...

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ohtheirony

Feb 14, 2018 05:01pm

@Roshan Ali they don't want it so try again.

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ohtheirony

Feb 14, 2018 05:02pm

@Hyder means nothing. id have to know who you are talking about and i haven't a clue. it could be anyone

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FK

Feb 14, 2018 05:23pm

@Sid The same people of Lodhran elected JT that time everyone was educated and people have chosen right person and now suddenly same have chosen other person and we start blaming lack of education. PTI must learn a lesson if they want to win 2018 election.People know who is working and who has done done damage for last 5 years by dharna and jalsa specially in Punjab.

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Feb 15, 2018 04:50pm

Wrong interpretation of the result of the recent Lodhran poll by the ex corrupt Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in order to safeguard, promote and protect his personal, family, financial, social, clan and political agenda.